Early Childhood Education Schools in Brazil

This chapter investigates play and interculturality between Brazilian and Japanese children in early childhood education schools in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The research context is 27 schools in five cities with nursery and kindergarten. Three questions structure the article. The first deals with family motivations indicating Japanese education and culture as one of the reasons for choosing the schools. The second examines the objectives and educational practices, and the third explores the play and interculturality between Japanese and Brazilian children.

Cross-Cultural Psychology of Play and Early Childhood Education

Play is a universal form of human behavior that has been observed across all cultures and constitutes a fundamental role in children's development. This chapter summarizes theory, research, and practice of play in early childhood education from a cross-cultural perspective. Even though there are common qualities of play, there is a great deal of variation within and across cultures. In the multicultural environment of globalizing world, early childhood professionals need to make better use of play from an intercultural perspective. Effective utilization of play in early childhood education needs a thorough understanding of scientific theories and cross-cultural research on play. Quality early childhood education programs incorporate play as a central element in the curriculum with consideration of both individual- and group-level differences. Developmentally and culturally appropriate practice in early childhood education demands the assessment and utilization of individual and cultural characteristics of children in the planning and implementation of play-based interventions.

Early Childhood Play With Reclaimed Resources

Sustainable play practices offer many benefits to young children, developmental and cultural, and these are examined in an English context. The authors claim a shared European heritage for children's play practices; one that has been eroded with the commodification of play materials, the manufacture of commercial toys and games accessible only to the wealthy child. After demonstrating the value of education for sustainable development, the chapter considers how reclaimed resources can be used to promote this end. It discusses a small-scale research project that visited four English early years settings to see whether and how the staff followed sustainable principles. It was found that the approaches of the four settings varied considerably, using resources that spanned the spectrum from commercial to natural, and concluded that more should/could be done to encourage play with reclaimed materials to set children on the path to greater environmental awareness and intercultural harmony.

Early Teacher Training Across European Countries

This chapter presents the evolution of Early Childhood Education in Spain from different educational laws. The progression of these is confirmed as a stage of custody and care until its consideration as an educational stage, which has their owns signs of identity and even a curriculum. Likewise, it is shown that the learning of other languages and the development of technological competences has made Pre-School Education an effective tool for linguistic and cultural diversity. This matter is caused by the social and political changes, which have had a great influence on education. Research and experience confirm that Early Childhood Education is a substantial stage in support of the integral development of children at these ages, in which their benefits are extrapolated and remain over a lifetime.

Empowering Practitioners Through Training to Ensure Safety and Health of Early Childhood Development Learners

The purpose of this chapter is to highlight importance of training Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners to ensure safety of learners in ECD centres, known as ECE in other countries. Several government departments have established policies to ensure effective implementation of health and safety practices in ECD centres. The problem with ECD policy implementation seems to be minimal training and support of practitioners and caregivers focusing on health and safety issues in ECD centres. Policy cannot always mandate what matters to outcomes at ECD centres because individual practices ought to be central to local responses. ECD policies in South Africa provide guidelines that direct the day-to-day practices of ECD practitioners. However, health and safety of young children appears to be in the hands of untrained practitioners and caregivers. Furthermore, ECD policy implementation reveals an uncertain relationship between policies and program implementation.

Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education

The key role of toys and play in early years education has been highlighted by several childhood pedagogues such as Froebel, Montessori, Weikart, and Malaguzzi, among many others. It is consensual among the international educational community that children now spend far more time being instructed and tested in literacy and math than they do learning through play and exploration exercising their bodies and using their imagination. This chapter aims to reflect on the power of play for children's learning and development and to analyze how three pedagogical models—the High Scope, Reggio Emilia, and Montessori—integrate play through their curriculum development. The chapter is organized in several topics, namely (1) the role of play in early childhood education (0 to 6 years); (2) the High Scope curriculum and opportunities given to children to engage in free play and play with purposes; (3) the Reggio Emilia approach: play through 100 languages; (4) the Montessori method, from hands-on activity and self-directed activity to collaborative play; (5) final remarks.

Promoting Diversity

This chapter outlines the roles of family, community, and early child education learning objectives as they relate to promoting diversity within early child education environments. Specifically, concepts such as parenting approaches, the ecological systems theory, early child education program models, and diversity are all discussed in this chapter. Early child education learning objectives such as those outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) are also applied as they relate to promoting children's developmental domains (social, emotional, cognitive, social) while further encouraging the integration of diversity and appreciation of everyone's cultures and backgrounds within early child education environments.

Play and Toys as Cultural Tools and Practices

Culture can be defined as the set of beliefs, traditions, values, customs, and norms specific to a group of people; it is acquired through the socialization process and is dominant and effective in all of our daily practices. Culture refers to the traditions and values of our communities, and through play, children explore and learn the rules and symbols of their communities. People of each generation, as they engage in sociocultural endeavors with other people, make use of and extend cultural tools and practices inherited from previous generations. This chapter aims to compare the use of two historical toys in two different cultures as cultural tools (“Eyüp Toys” and “Nuremberg Toys”); two activities in two different cities as cultural practices (“World Play Day” activities in Istanbul and the Toys Fair in Nuremberg); and finally, two institutions in two different cities as cultural institutions (Ataşehir Municipiality Düştepe [Dreamhill] Game Museum in Istanbul and Toy Collection at Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg).

Children's Play and Development

Play expresses that human beings use activity as the most natural and adaptive way to be in the world. However, children's play had not been a subject of study and theoretical reflection until the beginning of the last century. Fortunately, the spread of developmental and educational psychology has been little by little sensitive to this extraordinary and original activity and the observation, study, and analysis of play have advanced a lot; the scientific development on play advances through the creation of very interesting theories based on the psychodevelopmental nature of play. In addition, in the last decades, an important number of authors stand up for a critical look at the general interpretation according to which children's play is just an enjoyable and relaxing activity: an activity of interest, per se, that plays an essential role in children's cognitive development and creative thinking. Both interpretations are considered in this chapter.

Learning and Teaching in Early Education

This chapter presents how interaction with the social world stimulates the learning ability in the early years. There are two types of social relationships that affect the development of the individual in childhood: adult-child relationships and peers. Both social systems give rise to different vital experiences that will influence their social development. During the first years of age, the adults who surround, care for, and provide support help acquire a fundamental role in the social development of the child. Attachment between the child and family, parental educational styles, and family discipline become basic elements of analysis. Peer relationships are transformed with the entrance to preschool. The school environment is the second stage of life in common. This chapter analyzes the learning process of children and the influence of the most important developmental contexts such as family, peers, and teachers in this process.